Zipse: Nysos and Journalism set for Pacific Classic showdown

With next month’s Whitney (G1) at Saratoga looking to be a star-studded affair, the fear was the $1 million, Grade 1 Pacific Classic on the opposite coast would come up a real clunker. Fortunes can change in an afternoon, however, and suddenly Del Mar’s signature race is one to look forward to. Nysos and Journalism round 2 is now set. The first piece of the puzzle came together when trainer Bob Baffert announced that his star 5-year-old would pass on the Whitney and instead look to make a California homecoming in the 10-furlong Pacific Classic. The timing of the big race at Del Mar, two weeks closer to the October 31 Breeders’ Cup Classic, is preferable to Baffert and will also give the 2025 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) hero an opportunity to go the 1 1/4-mile distance before this year’s World Championships at Keeneland. When last seen, the son of Nyquist was ultra-impressive in overpowering a strong field in the Met Mile (G1) at Saratoga It was the type of performance that suggests that as a fully mature 5-year-old, Nysos could be the best horse in American racing. A winner of 8-of-10 lifetime starts, with two seconds, his victory in the Met Mile may have been his best race yet in a near spotless racing career. That effort looked even better when the second-place finisher Knightsbridge romped by more than ten lengths in Saturday’s Monmouth Cup (G2). The second piece of the puzzle came several hours later on Saturday with the running of the San Diego Handicap (G2), a race which was won by Nysos last year. Having danced every dance while ducking no horse throughout the first 13 races of his career, it was nice to see Journalism finally get some class relief in the local prep for the Pacific Classic. The three-time Grade 1 winner looked like a million bucks going into the Del Mar starting gate but then failed to launch when the doors of that gate sprung open. Stumbling out of the metal monster like a drunken sailor, the powerful son of Curlin was several lengths behind the rest of the field just a few strides into the 1 1/16-mile affair. Reunited with rider Umberto Rispoli, the pair did not panic. Finishing third behind top competition in his first two starts of 2026, many were down on the Michael McCarthy-trained star. Having faced a paceless Oaklawn Handicap (G2) and then as an outside-drawn closer out of the Wilson chute in the Met Mile, Journalism had major excuses. Would the terrible break in the San Diego be a third consecutive excuse? No note to the teacher was needed on this day. The big favorite answered the question with a classy performance that carried him from last to first. Circling the field with a decisive move, the handsome colt cruised down the stretch an easier winner than the final 3/4-length margin would suggest. The multiple stakes winning California-bred Shea Brennan ran big to be second, while getting seven pounds from the winner. It was a pleasure to see Journalism break his four-race losing streak. Now a winner of 7 races in 14 career starts, Journalism has won six Grade 1 or Grade 2 races. The only time he finished out of the money was a good fourth against the classy older trio of Forever Young, Sierra Leone, and Fierceness in last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). A prototype of what a Thoroughbred should look like, he runs hard every single time. What more could you ask of a horse? Two multiple Grade 1 winners and two very different types of runners are now headed to the Pacific Classic, and we learned all this on Saturday. Both have won multiple times at Del Mar, but Nysos will be the favorite in five weeks, having beaten Journalism in the Met Mile. There will be questions still to answer for the son of Nyquist, however, having never raced beyond 1 1/8-miles, and never having won at longer than 1 1/16-miles. It remains to be seen whether other big names will join the field for the Pacific Classic on Saturday, August 22 but in Nysos and Journalism, the west’s richest race will have a pair of headliners worth the price of admission.